Chapter Thirteen
Vil
“You killed a dragon?”
I wasn’t sure I heard her words right. That was, impossible was the wrong word, but extremely unlikely and improbable.
“What? No, no,” she said, tremors running through her arms. “I mean … last night. I killed someone. I shot them. Oh god, I shot them. I’m a murderer. I didn’t mean to, Vil. You have to believe me. I didn’t mean to!”
And just like that, she flung herself into my arms, and the floodgates opened. I held her, too stunned to react. Vanessa, a murderer? There had to be more to it than that.
I thought about the unusual path she’d taken after leaving work. I’d had to work hard to find her car, coming upon it just as it had toppled over the edge into the river. At that moment, I’d been so concerned with saving her that I hadn’t thought to ask a question what had led to that moment.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, stroking the back of her head and running my fingers through her hair.
I struggled not to get too lost in the feel of her body pressed against me. It was a serious issue, and I didn’t need to get a hard-on at the worst possible time. I wanted Vanessa to know I could be there for her in whatever way she needed me.
“How is it okay?” she said, tears soaking my shirt. She was crying but was managing to hold back outright sobs. Her inner strength had to be incredible.
“Because whatever happened, I’m sure there’s a good reason for it.”
She shook her head against my chest. “How can you know that?”
“Because, Vanessa, if there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you’re a good person.”
“How can you say that?” she asked, voice muffled by my shirt. “I shot him!”
“And why did you do that?” I pushed gently.
There was a big sniffle. “He was … going to hurt me. He had a knife, and he forced his way into the car. He was taking me somewhere.”
I stiffened.
“See!” she said, trying to pull away. “You can see I’m a bad person, too. You just won’t say it.”
“That’s not it at all,” I said stiffly, all of a sudden understanding why she was so upset with what I’d done.
My intentions were good and logical, but in a way, they were similar to the man who’d tried to actually kidnap her.
I could see how she got the two confused.
It was a miracle she wasn’t more upset with me.
Probably only because she could sense, on some level, that there was a connection between us, something that drew her to me.
“But I killed him.”
“In self-defense,” I said, wrapping her up in a tight hug. “You did what you had to do. You didn’t want to. He made you. This is his fault. Not yours. That’s what you must remember.”
“I’m trying,” she whispered. “But it’s hard, Vil. So hard. All I can see is his body and the blank look on his face. The blood in my car. It was horrible.”
“It’s over now,” I urged. “It’s over. Past. You don’t need to fear him anymore.”
I made a mental note that whenever we next returned to Earth to get her some counseling. There were dragons who dabbled in it, but on Earth, she would be able to truly talk it through with someone trained.
I held her for another handful of minutes. My body grew warmer by the second, heated by the closeness of her presence. I’d longed for it since the moment I set eyes on her in the bar, but I hadn’t expected it to come quite so soon. Nor in that way.
Soon I would hold her in a different way. When she was ready. And there would be no clothes in the way. The only thing I’d feel would be her skin. I could kiss it, caress it, explore it. All of it. Then I would help her forget her pain.
But that would have to wait. She wasn’t ready, and I had to be careful not to push it, despite the desire burning deep in my soul. I wanted to lick her, taste her, fill her. All of that and more, the yearning burned like a forge deep in my stomach, begging to be let free.
If I did, though, it would ruin the connection slowly building between us. I had to take my time. Move slowly. Let her grow comfortable.
I had to court her.
She pulled away, sniffling and wiping at her face. “God, I’m a mess,” she said.
I grinned.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, trying to pull away.
I held tight. “Not funny,” I explained. “Simply, ironic timing.”
Her eyes, cloudy with tears, narrowed in confusion. “I don’t get it.”
“Come with me,” I said, stepping away only a little reluctantly. “And I’ll show you.”
Vanessa hesitated, so I reached out and took her hand, tugging at it. “I promise you. It will be fun.”
“The last time you said that you wanted me to fly on your back,” she said, her hair disheveled, and still somehow looking like the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“This is much more … normal,” I said, purposefully being cryptic.
After all, there was a reason I hadn’t woken her until the following afternoon. She needed sleep, true, but I had ulterior motives. Things I’d been busy setting up for what would happen tonight.
It was time to show my mate what life with me would be like. What she deserved her life to be like.
With only a little trepidation, she followed me into the hallway, repeatedly asking me where I was taking her and getting more and more flustered when I gave her absolutely no hints.
“And here we are,” I said, showing her into a set of rooms where a trio of women waited, sitting in chairs, talking about nothing that mattered.
“It’s her!” one of them, the only blonde of the group, exclaimed, getting to her feet and hurrying over. “You must be Vanessa.”
“Uh, yes, I am,” she said, looking at me.
I just grinned for a second before taking pity.
“Ladies, this is Vanessa. Vanessa, meet Curi,” I said, introducing the blonde first. “And the tall one is Tinny, and the short one is Galli.”
“Hi,” Vanessa said awkwardly, shaking hands. “Nice to meet you.”
Curi looked over at me. “You didn’t tell her why she’s here, did you? The poor thing looks beyond confused.”
Vanessa laughed lightly. “I look far worse than that, but thank you for not mentioning it.”
“Don’t worry, dearie,” Tinny said, putting an arm around her. “We’re going to fix you right up, we will. You can trust us. We’re the best at what we do.”
“Fix me? What for?”
“The ball, of course!” Galli exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “You have to look fabulous for the Presentation Ball.”
“Presentation Ball?” Vanessa looked at me, horrified.
I grimaced. “Nothing I can do about that. It’s tradition. When the prince finds his mate, a ball is held. We have to attend. So I asked these ladies to spend the afternoon showing you what life as a princess is like.”
“Oh.” My mate looked slightly less ready to dash the door. Slightly.
“Go on,” I urged. “Indulge.”
“But a ball?” she asked nervously. “Vil … I don’t know. That seems kind of fast. Don’t you think?”
“It’ll be fine, I promise. Galli is going to make you the perfect dress.”
Vanessa gasped. “Make?”
“Oh, yes,” Galli said, clapping her hands gleefully. “It’s been too long. I can’t wait. I’ve got all the stuff in the back. I just need some measurements to make sure it fits. But you are positively going to be radiant. All the eyes will be on you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Vanessa said dryly.
“Nonsense! You’re going to be the belle of the ball. Come, I’ll show you what I’ve got in mind for you. With your skin tone, we have so many options, yes, now …”
Curi intervened with a strict tut-tut. “Not yet, Galli. Control yourself. First, she must relax. Can’t you see that she’s tense?”
“Oooh, yes,” Tinny said. “I can. Okay, come on. The first thing you need is a nice hot shower. We’ve got the best. All the scrubs, too. Some nice oils for your skin, though you don’t really need that. Then we’ll take care of those tense muscles.”
Vanessa was looking more overwhelmed by the second. It was actually quite adorable to watch.
“She needs a foot rub,” Galli said, nodding excitedly.
“Foot rub?” Vanessa repeated, brightening and finally letting herself be led inside.
“Just make sure she’s to the ball on time,” I told Curi, who fixed me with a glare.
“I know what I’m doing, my prince,” she said primly.
“Good,” I replied.
“I just hope you do, too.”
Then she shut the door in my face.